News

2014 World Wood Day- Timber Structures

The Timber
Structure Houses Design Competition and the Symposium on Timber Structures are
held on March 22, 2014.

The Timber Structure Houses Design Competition aimed to develop and research
the earthquake and typhoon resistant
characteristics of timber structures took place at the 2014 WWD
celebration. A total of nine teams, one from Finland and eight from
universities in China, was nominated among all entries and made it to the final.

On March 22, the symposium on timber
structures took place in the morning and the review meeting of the competition held
in the afternoon. It brought together a professional line-up of nine
specialists, including scholars, scientists and architects of multiple
disciplines. Focused topics were set to explore the field of wood construction
systems and techniques for disaster preparation and protection.

Prof. Antonio Frattari from University of
Trento gives a brief presentation on Cross Laminated Timber.

Dr.
Toshitugu Hirata talks about the adhesion system of wood construction.

In this rather intensive symposium, the international and Chinese professionals shed light on developments in their respective homelands. Specialists from Italy, India, Japan
and China laid out the essentials of efficiency
and sustainability in timber structural systems, a well as analysis and current
knowledge of the industry, while dealing
with wood building issues.

Dr. Jun Yang gives a speech on traditional timber
buildings to the experts and participants.

As the technical development of timber structures has made significant progress in material, design, construction and maintenance during the last few decades, timber structures have become the mainstream design of family dwellings and public architecture in some countries.

The inspiring speeches offer opportunities for the students,
scholars and professionals to learn and share.

Two sections were presented in the review
meeting for the competition, seismic resistance and the typhoon resistance. Ten
experts from eight countries formed the judging panel. Each team gave a
ten-minute presentation of their design which was followed by an interactive
question and answer session led by the judging panel.

The presentation allows each team to present their design ideas to
the judging panel.

The judging panel
reviews the house design presented by the competitors.

In addition to
the presentation, each team displayed a poster illustrating their design for
review. The potential for damage prevention against earthquake and typhoon and
the viability of that potential based on the design were evaluated by the
judging panel as assessment criteria.

The posters of house design of all competitors are on display.

The judges discuss on each house design in
front of the poster displays.

The design posters illustrate the ideas and
structures of the timber house designed by each team. The examples given above
are submitted by Beijing Forestry University (left) and Nanjing Forestry
University (right).

The
conversation and discussion with the specialists were an education to each team,
regardless of the result. The
exchange of ideas and experiences among the specialists was invaluable.

Students enhance their knowledge and
experience in the competition, while learning from the competitors and the specialists.

The winners
of the final competition were announced at the closing ceremony of WWD
celebration. DCR2 and “Smiling Resist Wind and Cloud” of Chongqing University were
awarded for “Excellence in Design”. Nanjing Forestry University was awarded for
“Best Teamwork”. Beijing Forestry University, Team of Hoka from Finland, T Cube
of Tongji University, Team B of Hunan University and SuWoodINT team of Soochow
University were awarded for “Best Innovation”.

The winners of the typhoon
resistant design pose with their award certificates.

Pictured are the winners of earthquake
resistant design in the award ceremony.

It is imperative to
put joint efforts into timber structures that prevent and reduce damage caused by
natural disaster and enhance sustainable function and performance. Contributing
to communication, academic research and technical innovations regarding sustainable
timber structures, the program should facilitate solutions to the house building systems that benefit our lives.

The specialists and judges pose with the participants
of the Timber Structure Houses Design Competition.